Budare's

Almost everybody living in Austin has sampled some variety of Mexican, Vietnamese, Korean, Thai, American, and Polish food, but few can say they've had Venezuelan cuisine. Budare's is here to showcase and share Venezuelan culture and cuisine with Texas, giving you the chance to expand your palate in a completely new direction. Run by Titi Carmen, Budare's prides itself of making traditional Venezuelan food without any of those modern fusion trappings that seem to dominate the Austin food scene. Instead, what you get is a small menu that is carefully curated to show off the best of Venezuelan cooking, cooked by a native Venezuelan woman. Some dishes might seem familiar, like empanadas. Other dishes, like cachapa – a fried pancake covered in cheese and filled with a variety of fillings – are sure to excite and expand the range of your taste buds. Add a side of plantains, and you've got a meal you won't soon forget. The food is definitely something special, but what elevates Budare's are the hosting skills of Titi Carmen, who will keep up a conversation about her younger days while serving up your food. It's a cultural experience that shouldn't be missed.